Mixed-breed dogs like doodles found not to be healthier than pure-breds. So what now?

Recent research on dogs such as labradoodles challenges the common assumption that mixed-breed dogs are healthier than pure-bred ones

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Actress Brie Larson and her doodle dog. Recent research on doodle mixes goes against the common assumption that mixed-breed dogs are healthier than purebred ones. Photo: Instagram/@brielarson

Published: 5:15pm, 13 Sep 2024

Mixed-breed dogs are generally considered to be healthier than pure-breds – but recent research appears to show that is not true for some popular “designer dogs”.

A “doodle dilemma” study has looked at how the physical health of some doodle breeds compare to their pure-bred parents.

Such dogs – tennis star Roger Federer has one, as do Marvel actors Chris Hemsworth and Brie Larson – are the offspring of a poodle and another dog breed. They include the labradoodle, a mix of a Labrador retriever and a poodle; the cockapoo, a cross between an English cocker spaniel and a poodle; and the cavapoo, a mix of a Cavalier King Charles spaniel and a poodle.

The mixes are said to have friendly natures and, in some cases, allergy-friendly coats.

Some future dog owners, in considering such a mix, may think that these mixed-breed dogs have a lower risk of illness than pure-bred dogs. This is because they are considered more robust than pedigree dogs because of their larger gene pool.

Chris Hemsworth (right) and his doodle dog. Doodle mixes are said to have friendly natures and, in some cases, allergy-friendly coats. Photo: Instagram/@Chris Hemsworth

A study published 10 years ago in peer-reviewed journal PLoS One found that pure-bred dogs suffer from certain diseases more frequently than mixed breeds. Pure-bred dogs were often bred for very specific characteristics, and their health was sometimes disregarded in favour of these.